From: Boris Gjenero <boris.gjenero_at_gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:42:40 -0400

Robert Menes wrote:
> On 3/15/09, Paul Louden <paulthenerd_at_gmail.com> wrote:
>> Do the iAudios actually consume battery during file transfers? Can they die
>> and shut down if the transfer is too large? There's been at least one claim
>> of this happening on an iPod.
>
> This has happened to me at least twice with my iPod color, which is still using
> a hard drive for storage. Recent builds with USB enabled seem to just slaughter
> the battery when I'm performing a large transfer of files (usually anywhere from
> 8-10GB). My iPod video no longer has many problems with battery life during
> file transfers, as the CompactFlash card in it uses much less power, anyway.

I have a 5G 30GB iPod with broken USB power input hardware. USB
transfers via the original firmware in the osos firmware partition (with
the colour do not disconnect screen) also rapidly deplete my battery
when my iPod isn't charging. I don't think that Rockbox uses much more
power in USB mode. Other than replacing the hard drive with a
CompactFlash card, the only thing that can be done is enabling use of
USB power (FS#8802).

For more information on this hardware problem, see
http://dreamlayers.blogspot.com/2008/12/video-ipod-wont-charge-via-usb-wont.html
  . I disconnected the LTC4066 from USB +5V and I use a USB/FireWire Y
cable to power my iPod during USB transfers. I plug the FireWire end
into a FireWire charger and I plug the USB end into a USB port. I am
not sure if such use of this cable is safe normally.

This hardware problem is also the reason why I am unable to test the
patch in FS#8802.

-- 
Boris

Received on 2009-03-17